Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-06
STONY CREEKS MYSTERY
Peter Coffee Arrested For
The Crime.

way Last Maybe be Brought BE
fore the Grand Jury at 2 O'Clock
This Afternoon The Authorities
Sure That the Jury VIII Find n True
Btll - Portions of the Evidence
Cleaned From the Detectives.
On the morning of May 10th the body of
Charles Way, the popular young station
master at Stony Greek, was found mangled
beyond recognition on the tracks of the
Shore Line railroad directly in front of his
depot and not forty feet from the depot door.
It was at first thought to have been an acct
dent, but in few days, after careful and
secret work by detectives, it was pronounced
to have been a murder, without the least
doubt. But the authorities and detectives
worked for months on the case and but few
people knew of the progress made. State At
torney Doolittle yesterday Issued a bench
warrant for Peter Coffee, the authori-
ties having sufficient circumstantial evidence
to warrant his arrest on the charge of murder.
AT 4 o'clock Coffee was taken from his place
of occupation at Beatty's quarry on Leete's
Island and brought to this city by Deputy
Sheriff Nettleton and lodged in the Whalley
avenue Jail preparatory to being brought be-
fore the grand jury this afternoon, who will,
without doubt, according to the authorities,
indict him.
The working up of the case has truly been
a remarkable and commendable piece of
work. The GREATEST mystery surrounded it.
Everyone who could have had any possible
or supposed connection with the case was
subjected tos rigid examination. The en-
gineer of the train which ran over the body
told how within fifty feet of the body, after
shutting OFF and whistling for brakes, they
surveyed it intently until ia was struck. The
body was rigid, and not a muscle
moved. They were positive that
suicide could not have held his
body SO riRidly. So thought the authorities.
No main would have lain down on the track
in the manner in which he was found. The
authorities throughout the case kept mum.
1t was a short while ago that Coffee, the ar
rested man, was arrested on suspicion and
brought to New Haven, where he was SUBJ
jected to an examination by Coroner Mix, his
deputy, Mr.. Willett, and Deputy Sheriff
Nettleton. Nothing was made public. All
that could be learned at the time was that
Coffee had been suspected of being the MUIR
derer, but the evidence was insufficient to
hold him.
Ever since Coffee was brought to this city
he has been watched night and day by the
detectives. A detective was with him con-
tinually at work in the quarry as a brother
quarryman. There were numerous other
suspicious circumstances connected with
Coffee, but there was no justification to ar
rest him until pretty clear case was estab
lished. That time has finally come.
Way had quarreledwith some of the drunken
quarrymen who had made themselves nui-
sance about the station, among the number
was Coffee. The morning the body was
found portion of bottle which contained
liquor was in his coat pocket. This was I'M
put in his pocket to give the idea
that he had committed suicide or had fallen
on the rails while intoxicated. Way was not
a drinking man. de was known to have
had nearly $100 in his pocket the night be-
fore his death, and when found the wallet
was empty This fact strengthened the be-
knew that Saturday was pay day being ac-
quainted with the railroad management and
with this knowledge it is said he waited for
a favorable opportunity to pay off his old
grudge against the young station master.
This did not come until Monday night. No
better opportunity could be had than after
the departure of the 1902 p. m. train as at
that time the depot was generally empty.
Parts of the circumstantial evidence
cleaned last night, which binds Coffee to the
terrible charge of murder, is that the whisky
flask has been learned to have belonged to
-, !
in it came from a liquor dealer in
from which the whisky Yves taken was taken
by Coffee to Guilford the day after the muir
der and there secreted.
Way was sending dispatch over the wire
when he was either called out or struck at
his instrument and the body then placed on
the track.
A fact which points to the conclusion that
he was not struck while at work is that he
told the operator in New Haven, where he
was sending the message, to wait moment.
He probably heard call and went to an
swer it, only to be dealt death-dealing
blow, all marks of which were quickly and
surely obliterated by the iron wheels of the
freight train.
The discovery of the body right at the
point where little footpath leads from
the railroad track to Coffee's house, the
leaving of a package of sugar in the depot
the night before while he was in his cups,
and last, but not least, his singular re-
marks the day after the tragedy.
They were told before Coffee could have
by any possible means, according to Deputy
Coroner Willett, obtained information of the
finding CT the body.
Coffee told the deputy coroner that he
knew something about the whereabouts of
Way at the time of the murder, but would
divulge nothing for less than 81 ZOO.
The finding of the body by the path leads
to the belief that Way was drugged in Cof-
fees house. The latter claims that he went
east on the 1902 train, but he was not seen
by Conductor George Mason. Did Coffee go
to the depot, or near it, and call Way out
and up to his house and invite him to have
some of the liquor he had brought from New
Haven. Did he get into an alteration and |
kill him and carsy him to the track in the
1arknessa These questions were asked the |
but they would not say whether |
hey had evidence to warrant their saying
hey were true. |
believed Way was murdered. He employed |
New York detective to work on the case. |
Other New York detectives have been on it |
besides the local authorities. From one of |
hem it was learned by COURIER reporter |
hat he had discovered the whisky jug which |
Coffee had secreted on the day after the muir
der of Way. On its handle was tag bearing |
The name of Patried McKiernan, 113 State |
street, New Haven. It had been sent by |
Adams Express company to Coffee at Stony |
Greek. |
Mr.. McKiernan was seen by a COURIER re-
porter at an early hour this morning and |
in answer to queries said: GIVE known |
Coffee for eight or ten years. He kept a |
liquor store at Stony Creek. and when in the |
wholesale business sold him most of his |
stuff. He also bought some from Mr.. Foote |
ACROSS the way. 1t was on Saturday, May 2,
hat sold him two gallon jug of Bour- |
BON whiskey for personal use.
sent it to him by express. He was been a
frequent visitor to my saloon since I went |
,ut of the whole business. was inclined to |
;hink him little ugly when he was in his |
cups. always considered him very honest |
nan. Several detectives have been worry
ng me constantly about the call. was
Iubpenaed by Sheriff Nettleton to come to |
court at 2 p. m. tomorrow. The coroner has |
paid me several visits.
1t was learned from man on the case |
hat McKiernan heard Coffee say while in /
MS saloon one night in an intoxicated COM
lition that he killed Way because he was
she cause of having had his license taken /
rom him and that he told this to McKiernan |